“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (2025)
I come to the “Mission: Impossible” movies for the spectacle, and “The Final Reckoning” definitely delivers.
While I might be a bit skeptical of Tom Cruise as a person and definitely don’t think of him as a favorite actor, I cannot deny that the stunts and storytelling behind this franchise are compelling. Ethan Hunt is definitely one of the most intriguing action heroes of the last 30 years.
For me, the addition of Simon Pegg as Benji and assorted repeat ensemble members including Angela Bassett, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Shea Whigham, Henry Czerny and Hayley Atwell are what keep me coming back for each new installment.
The three most recent entries before “Final Reckoning,” all also directed by Christopher McQuarrie, are my favorites, so I was glad to see him in that chair for this latest — and possibly final — installment.
McQuarrie’s “Final Reckoning” delivers on the exhilarating expectations we all have for this franchise and also crafts a tale that is timely and heartwrenching.
Whether or not this is the final installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, “The Final Reckoning” is most assuredly one of its best.
That being said, this movie is for the fans and you will get the most enjoyment out of it if you’ve seen the entire franchise, especially the first movie and the most recent, “Dead Reckoning.”
The plot picks up on the open-ended situations left in “Dead Reckoning,” as that film was initially promoted as “Dead Reckoning Part One.”
On a mission to save the world from destruction at the hands of an all-powerful, highly deceptive AI, Ethan, Benji, Luther (Rhames) and the rest of the crew must make the impossible happen once again to ensure the future of humanity.
While the stunt sequences (namely an underwater one and a plane one) keep you glued to the screen, I also found this story and concept to be immensely relatable as our planet is taken over by leaders who are failing to put humanity first, with some even feeding into misinformation and outright lies.
On top of the returning ensemble members, Tramell Tillman, Hannah Waddingham and Katy O’Brian all have new and entirely memorable roles in the brief moments they have on screen.
With a run time approaching 3 hours, “Final Reckoning” might feel like an overwhelming time commitment to some, but that time flew right by (pun intended).
The spectacle of this film demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and I was delighted that I was able to attend an IMAX screening. If your favorite theater has a premium large format option, it is worth it on this one.